Social Media Strategies: Digg for Instant Gratification, YouTube for Longevity

The team at HP Labs’ Social Computing Lab recently released a study that analyzes Digg and YouTube submissions to determine the best time of day to post a link to Digg’s social bookmarking site to maximize exposure and popularity.

The complete report contains lots of formulas and charts for analytics experts to chew on. But we saw a quick takeaway for any publisher looking to use the two sites to promote their content, drive traffic or boost search engine visibility:

– The study found that a well-timed Digg submission (basically, weekday afternoons, U.S. Time) achieves rapid growth and visibility. But that growth levels off quickly (in about 48 hours) and the content of those links becomes stale.

– YouTube videos, on the other hand, take longer to achieve the same level of popularity, but continue attracting viewers well past the 30-day period observed during the study.

What does that mean for a publisher? Promote the right kind of content to Digg and YouTube. For Digg links, consider time-sensitive pieces, such as news reports, commentary on Internet or social fads, or anything else that might benefit from a sudden spike in online searches and user interest

For YouTube videos, focus on evergreen content or longer-tail, specialty topics, such as how-to videos or feature-oriented content that can make up a library or archive. Searchers can still come across them a month or more after you’ve posted them, and make an initial connection with your brand.

It’s a good reminder that there is no one-size-fits-all social media strategy. You need to analyze each channel you intend to use and develop a unique approach to sharing your content with that community.